Afrique

Sierra-Leone

Sierra-Leone

INTERPOL Freetown staff

Sierra Leone law enforcement services are provided by the Sierra Leone Police (SLP). The force is headed by an Inspector General of Police (IGP) who is appointed personally by the Sierra Leone President. The IGP is assisted by six Assistant Inspector Generals of Police.

SLP Mandate:

Prevent, detect and investigate crime;

Protect life and property;

Identify and prosecute offenders;

Maintain public order;

Ensure national safety and security;

Keep Sierra Leone roads and drivers safe;

Provide easy access to the Sierra Leone justice system.

INTERPOL Freetown

The INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) for Sierra Leone is part of the Crime Services Department (CSD) of the Sierra Leone Police.

CSD structure:

Criminal investigation;

Family support;

Legal and justice support;

Transnational organized crime;

INTERPOL Freetown.

NCB duties:

Serve as a platform for exchange of crime information between the INTERPOL community and domestic law enforcement bodies;

Assist the INTERPOL community in all matters relating to crime committed in Sierra Leone or by citizens of Sierra Leone outside the country;

Populate the INTERPOL databases with information on trafficking in human beings, drugs, stolen works of art, stolen motor vehicles and stolen or lost legal documents;

Contribute towards improving cooperation between law enforcement agencies in Sierra Leone on international police matters;

Investigate transnational crime.

Drugs;

Financial and high tech crime;

Arms trafficking;

Vehicle theft;

Trafficking in human beings;

Money laundering;

Terrorism.

Priority crime areas:

Staffing:

Almost 30 men and women work for INTERPOL Freetown, stationed in different parts of the country:

Freetown Police Headquarters;

Freetown “Lungi” international airport;

Sierra Leone road transport authority;

Transnational organized crime unit;

Queen Elizabeth II Quay;

Bo City police;

Kenema City police;

Makeni City police.

Main national partners:

Immigration;

Road transport authorities;

National Revenue Authority (Customs);

Maritime administration;

National police.

Boosting border security

To strengthen national security and prevent criminal activity in Sierra Leone, INTERPOL Freetown plans to arrange for frontline police officers across the country to have direct access to INTERPOL’s databases. With this capacity, police officers in the field will be able to quickly determine if a person is a potential threat to national security.

The first stage of this expansion process will entail connection, by INTERPOL Freetown, of the following national law enforcement units: